Automatic mine-car coupling



J. T. BLACKLEDGE.

AUTOMATIC MINE CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEB 19m Patented May 4, 1920.

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J. T. BLACKLEDGE.

AUTOMATIC MINE CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1918.

1 ,339,01 6. atented May 4, 1920.

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/ I I I a E1 I O o" M I j .9 Z L5 Z9 7 Inventor JIBZQ ck Zedye UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. BLACKLEIDGE,

or nrvrnsnissouni, ASSIGNOR or rwo-rrrrns TO CARR HARTSHORN, or ELVINS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC MINE-CAR COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN THoMhs BLACK- LEDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elvins, in the county of St. F rancois and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic lVIineCar Couplings; and hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvementsin automatic car couplers, and has for one of its objects the provision of a device of this character especially adaptable for mine or underground cars, and may be readily adapted to other forms of cars.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a drawhead having a pivoted hook or male member locked against move ment upon. its pivot and adapted to engage or extend through a female member of a drawhead of the adjacent car, whereby the cars are efliciently coupled together.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means for locking the hook or male member in operative position, and which can be readily unlocked sothat it can be moved into an inoperative position underthe influence of a tension means to uncouple the cars.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an automatic mine car coupler of the abovestated character, which will. be simple durable and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view, as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of an automatic mine car coupler constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, illustrating the coupler connecting the adjacent ends of cars,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same,

Specification of Letters Patent.

I do

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed June 8, 1918. Serial No. 239,008.

Fig. 15 is a vertical sectional view, illustrating the male or hook member and the means-for locking the same against movement upon its pivot, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to-the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the opposing ends of cars, which are to be connected together by my automatic coupler. The car 2 has secured thereto a draw bar 3 having a head a; The head 4: is provided with a groove to receive .a metallic ring or female member 5, and which is secured into the groove by means of a plate 6, resting on the head 1. Bolts 7 extend through the plate 6 and head 4 for the purpose of securing the ring or female member 5 in the groove of the head.

A draw-bar 8 is secured to the car 1 and has its outer end bifurcated to form a pair of relatively spaced arms or members 9, defining between the same a slot 10. The inner end of the slot 10 is provided with an inclined shoulder 11, which is adapted to have abutting engagement with the hook or male member 12 when raised. The hook or male member 12 consists of a body 13, which is pivoted between the arms 9 by a bolt 14:, having the inner face thereof spaced from the inclined face 11 of the draw-bar'when the hook or male member 12 is in an operative position, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4:. The body 13 has formed thereon a forwardly extending bill or hook portion 15, which. is adapted to eX- tend through the female or loop member 5 for connecting the cars 1 and 2 together. An extension 16 is formed upon the inner end of the body 18, and is adapted to engage the face 17 of the slot 10 for limiting the movement of the male or hook member 12 in one direction, preventing the same from swinging below a horizontal planeupon its pivot lt. A resilient catch 18 is secured to the draw bar 8, and is provided with a catch portion 19, adapted to engage within a cutout portion 20 in the body 13 to prevent said body from being swung upwardly into an inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, under the influence of a spring 21 connected to the car 1 and to the male or hook member 12.

A bracket 22 is secured to the drawhead S, and has a lever 23 pivoted thereto. Aright angled extension 24 is formed upon one end of the lever 23 and extends through an eye or loop formed upon the catch portion 19 of the catch 18. The other end of the lever 23 has connected thereto a chain or other flexible element 24;, which is connected to an arm 25 secured to an operating rod 26. The operating rod 26 is journaled to the end of the car 1. in bearings 27 and ma have connected thereto suitable handles for rotating the same for disengaging the catch 18 from the male or hook member 12, permitting the same to move into an inoperative position under the influence of the spring 21 to disengage itself from the ring or female member 5 carried by the car 2.

Side flanges or plates 28 are secured to the side faces of the male or hook member 12 by means of bolts, and have their forward ends inclined, as illustrated at 29, and disposed rearwardly of the bill. or hook portion 15, so that when the cars l and 2 are coupled, the loop or female member 5 will engage the inclined faces 29 of the flanges and force the male or hook member 12; to swing downwardly so as to cause the bill or hook portion 15 to extend through the female member 5.

\Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed;

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A car coupler comprising a draw-bar, a head formed on said draw-bar and having a slot to form a pair of relatively spaced arms, a body pivoted between said arms within said slot, a hook portion formed on said body and adapted to engage a female coupling carried by the other draw-bar, said body having a cutout portion, a catch secured to said head and engaging the cutout portion to hold the body against pivotal movement, and a spring connected to the body and to a car for swinging said hook portion upwardly upon" disengaging the catch from the body.

2. An automatic car coupler comprising a draw-bar, a drawhead formed on said draw-bar and having a slot to form a pair of relatively spaced arms, said slot defining an inclined shoulder, and a straight shoulder, a body pivoted between said arms, a

hook portion formed on said body for engagement with a female portion of another drawhead, an extension formed upon said body and engaging the straight shoulder for limiting the movement of the body in one direction, an inclined face formed on the inner end of said body for cooperation with the inclined shoulder, a spring catch in engagement with said body, and resilient means connected to the body and to a car for moving said body into an inoperative position upon disengaging the catch therefrom.

S. The combination with a mine car, a draw-bar secured to said car, a draWhead formed on said draw-bar, a male member pivoted to said drawhead, tension means connected to the male member to swing the same on its pivot in one direction, a catch for holding said male member against movement in said direction, a bracket secured to the drawhead, an arm pivoted to said b acket and connected to the catch, a flexible element connected to said arm, an operating shaft journaled to the car and connected to the flexible element for disengaging the catch from the male member. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. BLACKLEDGE. \Vitnesses J. N. RICHARDS, D. N. TI-IRELKELD. 

